No.
Primary health care is available to all LSUHSC registered students through Student Health, at no charge for the visit. You are not required to use this service. You may use the service as much or as little as you wish.

Visits to other LSUHCN clinics (e.g., neurology, dermatology) are billed at the provider's regular rate.

If you elected to take the LSUHSC student policy, check your brochure. If you have another carrier, check with them. For example if you are covered by OHP, you may come to student health for free care (no charge for the visit), but OHP may deny the cost of lab tests or X-rays done at LSUHSC. In that case you would be responsible for the bill from LSUHSC.

The LSUHSC student policy brochure lists a provider network that you may access, and instructions regarding how to identify specific preferred providers.

As your insurance brochure notes, you are reimbursed at a higher rate with preferred providers.

Currently BlueCross BlueShiled at http://www.bcbsla.com has a list of all preferred providers. Check that web site for further information.

If you have elected to take the LSUHSC student policy You are in a PPO. This is an important distinction when making insurance arrangements with providers of care.

You can either read your brochure or visit your health insurance provider's website at http://www.bcbsla.com. Because Student Health Services does not underwrite your insurance, we cannot make judgments about coverage. The best person to talk to is your insurance agent.

If you are on an ongoing regime, that does not require titration, provide detailed orders from your allergist/nurse practitioner, and bring your biologic to Student Health, the injection will be given.

If you also bring syringes, you will not be charged for supplies. If you only bring the biologic, you will receive a minimal charge for supplies.

2. I'm having a hard time getting through the telephone system. Can I just e-mail someone at Student Health?

Student health providers are committed to seeing students, so they do not usually book non-students. However, for recent graduates, there may be special circumstances that would allow an after-graduation health care visit. You should expect to pay the standard visit charge for an LSUHCN provider.

You may also elect to see a physician provider outside of the student health clinic. Your insurance will direct you to preferred providers. The LSUHSC student policy lists several physicians as preferred providers. As that policy states, you may self-refer to any of the physicians listed above.

You can either read your brochure or visit your health insurance provider's website at http://www.bcbsla.com. Because Student Health Services does not underwrite your insurance, we cannot make judgments about coverage. The best person to talk to is your insurance agent.

First, look at your brochure. If you have questions, then call your insurance agent. Your insurance agent can help you with this. The contact for LSUHSC student policy is printed on the front of the brochure. If you need an extra brochure, you can get one from any of the following: (a) The Registrar's office, (b) your school's Student Affair's office, (c) Student Health

Students usually purchase this policy when they enroll. But, if you were insured by another carrier, and "age out," you may get the student policy at anytime during the semester. You must contact the insurance agent directly as well as send payments to them.

This depends on your insurance.
If you elected to take the LSUHSC student policy, preferred providers are listed on the UnitedHealthcare web site. Preferred provider information can be accessed from the http://www.bcbsla.com website -- follow the directions for PPO members

This depends on your insurance.
If you elected to take the LSUHSC student policy your insurance brochure states that you will pay a greater percentage of the bill and will be responsible for a deductible (unless you are referred to a non-network provider by student health) if you elect to see an out-of network (non-preferred) provider.

If you are insured by a carrier other than the LSUHSC student policy, contact your provider

If you have elected to take the LSUHSC student policy, contact student health before your out-of-network provider visit. Referrals cannot be post-dated â€“ That is insurance fraud.

Have a rationale for selecting the non-preferred (out-of-network) provider. A PPO works to keep overall costs down, which makes your premiums lower. Going outside of the PPO network tends to increase costs, so the referral must indicate a rationale for the out-of-network visit.

For example if you have an on-going relationship with an out-of-network psychiatrist, counselor, midwife, gynecologist, or urologist that would be sufficient rationale for the referral. If you wanted and MRI and Student Health had no information about why the MRI was needed, a referral for MRI would be more difficult to justify.

A wide range of providers (e.g., nurse practitioners, physical therapist, physicians, psychologists) are covered. This information can be accessed from the http://www.bcbsla.com website -- follow the directions for PPO members.

Usually Not.
Special arrangements have been made for Student Health to provide services to Psychology Student Interns who are registered as LSUHSC interns and Graduate Dental Students. No other interns or residents are covered at this time.

If you need emergency care, you should probably go directly to an emergency room as the student health clinic is not equipped to provide emergency care.

However, Student Health can accommodate urgent care visits. Many times, students can get same day appointments. The triage nurse will determine the urgency of your visit. You may have to wait if your symptoms do not warrant immediate attention.

Louisiana State University Health Science Center requires all students to meet the following health requirements for admission:

Health history

Physical exam

Varicella titer positive (i.e., immune) OR 2 varivax immunizations

MMR vaccines must be after 1957 (two in series) OR proof of immunity

Tetanus/diptheria test within past 10 years

TB skin test each year

Chest x ray is required only if the TB skin test is positive. INH therapy is strongly encouraged for latent TB for 9 months. Treatment of active TB is required.

Hepatitis B vaccination at 0, 30, and 180 days OR proof of immunity

Meningococcal Vaccine or Waiver

Varicelle Titer two childhood immunizations

Required Documentation

Acceptable Alternative

Varicella

Titer AND Copy of original lab with reference range

OR

Proof of vaccination (Varicella)

Measles (roseola) Mumps and Rubella

Titer AND Copy of original lab with reference range

OR

MMR immunization -
2 injections required ALL must be completed.

Hepatitis B titer

Titer AND Copy of original lab with reference range

OR

Proof of immunization
3 injections required
Given at 0 - 30 - 180 days
Up to date at time of registration*

*If your 1st HBV immunization was given January 1 and you register January 1, you are up-to-date.
If your 1st HBV immunization was given December 1 and you register January 5, you are NOT up-to-date
(The 2nd shot due on the 30th day, so a 2nd immunization needed before January 5)..
If your 2nd HBV immunization was given January 1 and you register January 5, you are up-to-date.

Required Documentation

Additional Requirements

PPD within past 12 months

+ or - result AND Notation of # of m.m. of induration. BCG recipients must have a baseline PPD

Call Student Health if your screening was not negative - other requirements apply

Tetanus/Diphtheria

Proof of vaccination within the last 10 years

Required ONLY of Dental Residents/Fellows, DDS and Dental Hygiene Students

Bring documentation to student health that your immunizations/screening is up-to-date. Documentation brought on the day of registration may NOT be entered that day due to the volume of data entry required. All 5 schools register within a few days of each other, so data entry requirements are heaviest around each registration.

After the original registration, most people are blocked because they did not get an annual TB skin test. You can check the status of your immunizations/screening at any time. One strategy is to get screened early. For example if you get your TB skin test done after Thanksgiving, before you leave for Christmas break, or around Easter/Spring Break you will be screened early enough to not get blocked, and the lines will not be as intense.

If you are checking your status around registration, remember that many others -- for many other schools -- are doing the same thing. You many not be able to talk directly to someone. Leave a number where a message can be left or a day-time contact number. If we are to leave a message, be sure to specify that we can leave a message at the number you provide.